Easter: The Beautiful ExchangeSýnishorn

REJECTION → ← ACCEPTANCE

A Liberator for the Captive

Have you ever felt out of place somewhere? Maybe you showed up to a formal dinner party in jeans and a t-shirt. Maybe you’re the only vegan in a sea of meatatarians. Or maybe you’re the only person who isn’t wealthy in your circle of friends. Whatever the case may be, when you’re the outcast, it usually leaves you feeling rejected and excluded.

In Jesus’ day, this type of exclusionary behavior was rampant. A large segment of the Jewish population—tax collectors, prostitutes, slaves, lepers, the blind, the poor, the lame—were considered outcasts. All of these “unclean sinners” were on the outside looking in. And groups like the Pharisees, the religious leaders who were supposed to be the examples of what it means to be close to God, made these distinctions very clear for the people.

Now, God is a God of mercy and justice, the Defender of the weak, the Father to the fatherless, the Liberator for the captive, the Protector of widows. And yet, the religious leaders who spent their entire lives studying the Scriptures couldn’t have gotten this more wrong. They should have been the hands and feet of God—His representation, His ambassadors, exemplifying His mercy, taking up the cause for those who needed God the most.

They should have been the ones to show grace to the prostitutes like Jesus did with Rahab, to forgive the tax collectors as God forgave the Israelites time and time again, to free slaves as God did in Egypt. They should have taken up offerings for the widows, orphans, and the sick, but they didn’t do any of that. Instead, they alienated and ostracized these groups of people. Why? Because the religious leaders wanted to keep themselves separated, set apart, and clean.

But here comes Jesus, God in the flesh, and He’s eating with tax collectors, forgiving prostitutes and adulterers, healing lepers, and giving sight to the blind. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

Jesus showed compassion, grace, empathy, and love at every turn. He wasn’t afraid of being called unclean. He wasn’t afraid to get His hands dirty because it meant making someone else’s heart clean. Our Good Shepherd came for and sought the lost sheep. He truly fulfilled the prophetic words of Isaiah 61 (NIV), which says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me . . . to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”

Whereas the keepers of God’s Word drew very clear lines in the sand, Jesus opened the doors of heaven. He exchanged the rejection and hopelessness of the outcast for complete acceptance and unconditional love from God the Father.

As you read this, you may be thinking, “How could the Pharisees have done such a horrible thing?” Thoughts of poor, defenseless orphans and lepers may be swimming through your head as the need for justice wells up inside you. Your shock may even be turning into a righteous anger towards the religious leaders. But beware . . . because so often, in today’s world, we, the Church, have done the same thing with a variety of groups. We’ve drawn party lines and condemned certain segments of the population.

With Easter only a few days away, let’s remember that Jesus paid the price for everyone, and as His ambassadors, it’s our job to receive and love everyone as Christ does, regardless of who they are, what they’ve done, or where they come from. Let’s remember to put on love and allow the light of Christ to shine through us.   

DIG: Read Luke 17:11–19, John 8:1–11, and Romans 6.  
DISCOVER: Have you ever felt out of place somewhere? Have you ever felt accepted and welcomed? How were those two situations different? What made the difference?
DISPLAY: Find someone at your work, school, or neighborhood who always seems to be left out or excluded for whatever reason. Make it a point today to make them feel accepted. Invite them to coffee, bring them a treat with an encouraging note, and invite them to join you for church this Easter.